quote:

ORIGINAL: ResidentSadist
However, I have benched Win 8 and it is faster at many things... up to 30% faster throughput. I hate the UI but the core runs rather well considering it is a MS product and not a real OS like UNIX or its clones.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MalcolmNathaniel

It's supposed to be fixed in Kubuntu 13.10. By extension I would assume Ubuntu 13.10 too.

I'd wait a month just to make sure that any problems are solved. You can search for your particular model on the Ubuntu/Kubuntu forums.

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesFIP
I then looked at the $300 Google Chromebook and decided that's a hell of a lot more user friendly.

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesFIP
I then looked at the $300 Google Chromebook and decided that's a hell of a lot more user friendly.

quote:

ORIGINAL: JeffBC

OK, this is just a Windows 8 Rant. Move along if you don't like a good geek rant.

So Carol had her laptop stolen and I just replaced it. Sadly, I was forced into a Win8 purchase which just sucks... partially due to UEFI and partly due to windows 8. But this is my first interaction with Windows 8 and man, all I can say is WTF?

For starters I'd really like the simple installation option that says, "Please don't send all my shit to Microsoft". But the default is quite the contrary and they work hard to steer you away from having actual security... or even pretend security. It's been two days and I'm still not convinced that I have unwired my stupid laptop from Microsoft's servers but I'm working on it. Advice here? Do NOT use a mail account for login... use what it calls a local account. Then go and disable pretty much everything that's on the default metro screen. I suspect it might be weeks before I find all the places that they are spying on me... or I will probably just give it up and install a real OS (see below).

And metro... let's just discuss that freakin disaster. Did they REALLY use the entire home screen to display a bunch of crap that is utterly meaningless to me while, at the same time, hiding away all the crap I really need under arcane key combinations and even more arcane gestures? Oh yes they did. I am utterly astonished at the pixel real estate used to display nothing of interest. But man, if I want to start photoshop I've got like 40 key clicks.

I suspect I'm going to rip Win8 off this laptop pretty promptly and replace with a unix clone but that gets back to UEFI. See, the FTC has decided in it's infinite wisdom that Microsoft should get to decide what operating systems are legitimate. One false move and you end up bricking your laptop. Now there's a security feature for you.

Overall, my net conclusion is that this is a GREAT upgrade... for Microsoft. I should help them to compete with Google and Facebook more aggressively in terms of stealing all your data without your knowledge. From a user standpoint I have yet to find much of anything that was actually a benefit and I've found a ton which is just plain awesomely more difficult.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Marc2b

All of the horror stories about windows 8 (plus my own maddening experience with it on an office computer) have kept me constantly delaying my purchase of a new computer while waiting for windows 8.1 which supposedly fixes some of the issues with windows 8. Windows 8.1 is supposed to be available in the store bought computers now but I've yet to see it (I suspect they want to sell off their stock of Windows 8 computers first).

When I do get my new computer I plan on having a professional computer guy I know help me set it up and explain things to me. I've already bought my copy of Windows 8.1 for dummies. Now it is just the waiting.

quote:

ORIGINAL: JeffBC

quote:

ORIGINAL: ResidentSadist
However, I have benched Win 8 and it is faster at many things... up to 30% faster throughput. I hate the UI but the core runs rather well considering it is a MS product and not a real OS like UNIX or its clones.

Yeah, the core is neat.

The whole being assimilated by the borg thing... not so much. I still cannot believe how, in this day & age, they DEFAULTED to "send my entire life to Microsoft". Seriously? And damn... do I REALLY need to put it on a fucking network sniffer just to find out all the various places it's STILL bleeding information to Microsoft? I honestly think I'd work through the UI changes given my own abilities to learn and the 3rd party options to customize. I despair that I will ever get Microsoft's fingers out of my data pie though. I do believe they have built in MASSIVE intrusion right into it and made it hard as hell to turn that off.

@Malcolm
Heh... let's just be thankful that I don't have multiple network adapters. On the bright side, the UEFI bios means I get the joy of potentially bricking my $500 laptop just because I want a real OS installed.

quote:

ORIGINAL: ChatteParfaitt

Yeah I truly hate my windows eight. It is so fucking proprietary. They want to be in control of everything you do.

I do use the icons for things I use a lot, like chrome and word, and you can put a "go to desktop" icon in there, which I use often.

I understand the touchpad logic behind it, but most of us aren't there yet.

quote:

ORIGINAL: JeffBC

quote:

ORIGINAL: MalcolmNathaniel

It's supposed to be fixed in Kubuntu 13.10. By extension I would assume Ubuntu 13.10 too.

I'd wait a month just to make sure that any problems are solved. You can search for your particular model on the Ubuntu/Kubuntu forums.

The obvious question, of course, is why the FTC allowed Microsoft to decide what is and is not an allowable operating system. Am I the only person who sees a potential problem with that?